Confessions of an Opeth Fan...Ghost Reveries and Faceculture interview...

[all_sins_undone]

Mike kicks ass. Seriously. Damn you kick ass Mike.

 

[Stormwatch]

err...ok. What's your point?
My point was: If you think BWP is pure genious, you can't say GR is crap.

My point was pretty obvious. You say (paraphrasing you here): "Non can say they hate an Opeth album, apart from Damnation".
So how come Damnation is so bad? You not like that one then? See, your argument kinda collapses there eh?

 

[in limbow]

My point was pretty obvious. You say (paraphrasing you here): "Non can say they hate an Opeth album, apart from Damnation".
So how come Damnation is so bad? You not like that one then? See, your argument kinda collapses there eh?

No, I think his point was that all Opeth albums are similar or related in a way. The reason why he said "apart from Damnation" is because it doesn't sound like the others, it's a different experience

 

[Stormwatch]

Of course I have opinions, I'm just saying that the manner in which the threadstarter stated his was kind of rude, and this thread is not necessary- as I said there's already been countless ones like this.

You'd prefer to see another hundred threads saying how cool GR is then? Come on, message boards are supposed to promote discussion - if everyone agrees there is no discussion, only sycophancy.
This guy's post stands out.
As for there being countless posts like this - sorry, I don't check in here all that often, his was the only one I saw.

 

[Stormwatch]

No, I think his point was that all Opeth albums are similar or related in a way. The reason why he said "apart from Damnation" is because it doesn't sound like the others, it's a different experience

What's that got to do with anything? He was suggesting no one could have a bad opinion of Opeth albums because they're all great (oh apart from Damnation). He's basically made a post ostensibly disagreeing with a point, yet inadvertently made the exact same point himself: Opinions, that's all it's about. Opinion.

 

[in limbow]

You'd prefer to see another hundred threads saying how cool GR is then? Come on, message boards are supposed to promote discussion - if everyone agrees there is no discussion, only sycophancy.
This guy's post stands out.
As for there being countless posts like this - sorry, I don't check in here all that often, his was the only one I saw.

I'm not saying I prefer to see a million threads about how great GR is, I just think this thread is unnecessary... maybe it does promote discussion or whatever but mostly just a lot of people flaming the threadstarter and a few agreeing... nothing new. There are a million threads like this one.

 

[Braighs]

What's that got to do with anything? He was suggesting no one could have a bad opinion of Opeth albums because they're all great (oh apart from Damnation). He's basically made a post ostensibly disagreeing with a point, yet inadvertently made the exact same point himself: Opinions, that's all it's about. Opinion.

arghh. No. Let me put it this way. If you like Still Life, you will most likely like Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries. Now...if you like Damnation, you might not like Deliverance or any other Opeth album. ie, you might not be into metal at all.

edit - I like Damnation, but I have a friend who ONLY likes Damnation. k?

 

[Stormwatch]

arghh. No. Let me put it this way. If you like Still Life, you will most likely like Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries. Now...if you like Damnation, you might not like Deliverance or any other Opeth album. ie, you might not be into metal at all.

Okay, fine. I like Still Life, but I don't "mostly like" BWP. I mostly like Deliverance. I think GR is the weakest of them all apart from Damnation.
i.e.......It's all about opinions and voicing them..

 

[Stormwatch]

I'm not saying I prefer to see a million threads about how great GR is, I just think this thread is unnecessary... maybe it does promote discussion or whatever but mostly just a lot of people flaming the threadstarter and a few agreeing... nothing new. There are a million threads like this one.

Sorry, again I don't come in here so much nowadays. This was the only thread I saw discussing the new album - all the rest seem to be about other bands, like Nevermore, or the same boring old polls that have been going on for the past three feckin' years!
This thread at least said something different.

 

[Braighs]

Okay, fine. I like Still Life, but I don't "mostly like" BWP. I mostly like Deliverance. I think GR is the weakest of them all apart from Damnation.
i.e.......It's all about opinions and voicing them..

stop f'ing twisting my words. I used SL and BWP as mere examples.
Would you say harsh words about GR?

edit - I agree about voicing opinions - It's great. Do it! The first post just sounded harsh to me.

 

[Stormwatch]

stop f'ing twisting my words. I used SL and BWP as mere examples.
Would you say harsh words about GR?

edit - I agree about voicing opinions - It's great. Do it! The first post just sounded harsh to me.

Sorry I wasn't twisting your words on purpose - I just took what you said and quoted from it.

Would I say harsh words about GR? Have you read my posts today ( I thought you had, since you've replied to them all!)

The first post might have been harsh but it started a discussion, on a DISCUSSION BOARD. To me, that makes sense. Forums that are full of fan boys who won't listen to bad things being said about their band (like the old Metallica forums) are worthless. There's no one here that isn't an Opeth fan - they're surely entitled to voice their opinion, even if it's a negative one.
I hated Arch Enemy - but I'm listening to their new album now and I really like it. So - would I have been less of a fan for hating their previous albums? Would the band be happy as long as I like the latest album?
Opinion.....it's all about opinion.

 

[Forest of Åsatrú]

lol fine then. Travel the vast lands and see the Forums of Lame.

 

[Braighs]

ok, peace. I was just being overly defensive.

 

[Stormwatch]

lol fine then. Travel the vast lands and see the Forums of Lame.

What? :zombie:

 

[Braighs]

What? :zombie:

he's from that other Opeth forum...don't pay any atention to him.

 

[Stormwatch]

he's from that other Opeth forum...don't pay any atention to him.

I rather liked his imagery TBH

 

[Austin]

I think it is a great album and if it were released by any other band I would feel it an amazing achievment. But it is an Opeth album and as such I do not connect with it they way I did with all of the previous Opeth releases and I think that has solely to do with the production. Mike's vocals are excellent but I think they are over produced. Thats not to say he should sound bad, on the contrary, he has consistently been voted best vocalist in polls in the past based solely on his prior recordings. Here the clean vocals feel as though they were mixed the same way someone might mix the vocals on major label pop record. They're clean, and well rehearsed. There's none of the spontinaity and fragility that you got from the previous releases. I think this criticism holds up against much of the rest of the work on the album. Not to say that they should sound bad, or that the past albums sound bad, but they're mixed to sound a little more alive. GR is polished and well rehearsed and I think as a result it loses a little of the Opeth magic. The past records sounded so effortless and here I think you can hear the rehearsels and multiple takes. An extreme comparison would be Metallica's first 3 albums to the Bob Rock produced Black Album. No one can say Master of Puppets, for example, is poorly produced record, it has an amazing sound that perfectly captures and presents those songs. The Black Album is more slick and polished, but lacks considerably as a result. Of course the songs on the Black Album is nowhere near as good as those on Ghost Reveries, and the production of Ghost Reveries is nowhere near as obnoxious as the Black Album, so the comparison is as I said probably too extreme.

Nevertheless I still dig GR, I just don't feel that insane connection to it that I get from the other albums. When I listen to Still Life, it takes me some time before I am interested in listening to any other band. I alternate from GR and other groups' albums fairly regularlly.

 

[AI]

I think the problem with GR developed because of the expectations some people had before the album was released. When Mike said the thingie about bordering to black metal album, people were expecting sth totaly different from Damnation. GR are different but ...well, that’s the problem, Damnation is still there (as well as many themes from the previous albums, though), and some of the fans wanted to hear an album resembling Deliverance in its character, although probably a bit more brutal. That’s why people start whining about HoW and Isolation Years. When I heard TGC I thought the album would be different from what it turned out to be, and when I finally heard it, I was a bit surprised. However, I didn't think of it before in terms of ‘this album has to be better than the previous one, because otherwise I'm not gonna like it’. Thinking like that is stupid, but people tend to do that and later get frustrated.
For me the only problem with GR is that it's too short :].

 

[MetalManCPA]

Well I pretty much check this forum as often as I can and it's highly entertaining most of the time. The slagging biz is something I'm very used to as well and I too slag bands and people off ALL the time. As time pass I will not be affected by negative comments about this album. But right now, "Ghost reveries" is quite new to me, I'm proud over it, and a bit more sensitive about it, is all.

Cheers
Mike

Mikael,

Do comments about your band truly bother you? At this point in your career, what is the reason you are in a band called Opeth? I realize there a several reasons why, but which reason is most prominent in your mind? Are you in it for the money, or to make others happy, or for personal satisfaction?

You obviously have a passion for music. There are fans like myself who consider you the greatest musicians on the planet. There are fans who blend their like for you with other bands. There are non-fans who don't enjoy your music. I know it's hard to hear negativity towards something you've created, but I know you realize it's the nature of the beast not pleasing everybody. And you know your fanbase is smaller as compared to the major marketed pop crap and the rare metal bands who have risen to financial super-stardom (Metallica comes to mind first). But I've seen you in concert 4 times already (5th time will be in Providence in February) and it appears to me you thoroughly enjoy what you are doing. I want to make millions of dollars, but I am what I am. You also seem to be content with who you are and what you create. That should be enough.

 

[Austin]

And "Isolation years"...man, that's on of my personal fave opeth song ever and I was literally in tears singing it. I feel gutted that somebody can take the piss out of GR so completely that I actually feel the need to respond and I feel angry. Plain and simple, your opinion is noted but by no means will I contemplate what you said because you're there and I am here, simple as that...

Best regards
Mike

I'm repeating myself from other posts, but I think that Isolation Years is lyrically the best song you've ever written. Its flawless and for me, the highlight of the album.

Hours of Wealth is great as well.

In fact I enjoy all of the songs. If there is a flaw for me, and at best it is a minor one, I feel the production resonates a little less emotionally than the last few records...O and I wish the vinyl was a double gatefold! On my personally 10 best records of the year GR still came in at #2, beaten out by none other than Porcupine Tree's Deadwing. Maybe it was the 5.1 mix that pushed them over...

And for the love of God come back and play Arizona. You ditched us last tour and now I fear we are to be abondoned again!